Ireland's Minister for Europe and Defence, Thomas Byrne, said he would like to conclude negotiations on the enlargement of the European Union with Montenegro by the end of the Irish presidency of the Council of the EU in the second half of 2026.
With progress in preparing the next EU budget, completing negotiations with Montenegro "would be a job well done," Bern said in an interview with a podcast by the Institute for International and European Affairs, a Dublin-based think tank.
Euroaktiv writes that Montenegro is on a diplomatic offensive with the aim of accelerating its accession to the EU. Bloomberg previously reported that Montenegro wants to join the Union by 2028 and officially confirm the de facto use of the euro.
Although Podgorica's candidacy was the focus of Bern's comments, he spoke in favor of progressing negotiations with all candidate countries, emphasizing that he would like "to move Albania forward and put it in a situation where it could enter a year later."
After the Danish presidency of the Council of the EU ends at the end of 2025, Copenhagen will hand over the duty to Cyprus for the first half of 2026. Then a new trio takes over the presidency: first Ireland, then Lithuania, then Greece.
Asked about cooperation with Vilnius and Athens, Bern pointed out that these three countries, although geographically distant, are connected by sea.
At the top of the list of maritime issues: the Russian "shadow" fleet. Berne pointed out that Ireland has a large number of submarine cables in its waters, as well as a gas connection.
Bern also stated that security and defense would be clear priorities during the Irish presidency of the Council of the EU, but sought to reassure the domestic public that Ireland's constitutional neutrality would not be called into question.
"I am clear to the public: we will not join NATO, we are neutral. It is not on the agenda, and it will not happen," he said.
"If there were ever an initiative for a common European defense, we would not support that either."
Instead, Berne tried to turn Ireland's position as one of only four neutral countries in the EU into an advantage.
"We will be the independent mediator at the table," he said.
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